Rotary engine



Patented Mar. l4, I899. W.L. WILSON. ROTARY ENGINE.

No. szues.

(Application filed May 1'7, 1898.)

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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No. 62I,I93. Patented Mar. l4, I899. W. L. WILSON,

RoTA'nY ENGINE.

(Application filed May 17, 1898.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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' L Patented Mar. [4, i899. W. L. WILSON.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed m 17, 1898.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

W/ TNE SSE S A TTORNEYS.

rrno STATES VILLIAM LESLIE WILSON, OF IIINTON, WVEST VIRGINIA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 621,193, dated March 14, 1899.

Application filed May 17, 1898. Serial No- 680,958. tNo model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM LESLIE WIL SON, of Hinton, in the county of Summers and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and Improved Rotary Engine, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in rotary engines of that class which are reversible and which are provided with an admissionvalve positively connected to the shaft and with reversing-valves which are shifted to change the direction of operation of the engine,

My invention comprises a novel construction of valve and its operating mechanism and a novel method of operating the exhaustvalves.

It also comprises other features of construction, which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional elevation of the engine, taken through the exhaust and admission valves and their corresponding ports. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation taken through the oscillating pistons which control the position of the exhaust-valves and also through the admission-valves. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken-through the piston-disk and admission-valves. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the engine. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the engine, showing the reversing mechanism. Figs. 6 and 7 are similar views showing the reversing mechanism in difierent positions, and Fig. 8 is a detail section showing the bushing for the ports in the admission-valve.

The steam-cylinder of the engine consists of a ring A, forming the body of the framework, which is inclosed at each end by capplates B and 'B. The cavity formed thereby is circular in cross-section,and the plates which close the ends are provided with bearings for receiving the shaft D said bearings being located eccentric of the cylinder-cavity.

Upon the shaft D is secured the pistondisk D. This is formed as a ring, being open at the ends and provided with radial cavities D, adapted to receive the piston-heads d.

One of the cap-plates, as B, is provided with an annular recess a, which is connected, by means of a pipe at, to the steam-chest or other source from which live steam may be obtained. This fills the interior cavity of the piston-disk with steam under boiler-pressure, and by reason of the fact that the annular recess a and the cavities D, which receive the piston-heads, are in communication with each other holds the piston-heads out bya pressure of steam beneath the same.

The ring A, forming the periphery of the cylinder, is provided with an exhaust-passage A connecting the two exhaust-valve chambers A, located upon opposite sides of the cylinder. These exhaust-valve chambers A are connected with the cylinder-cavity C by means of short exhaust-ports e. Vvithin each of the chambers A is placed an exhaustvalve E, which is mounted to rotate upon its shaft E so as to close the exhaust-passage whenever desired. The stems of the valves E respectively extend into one of two opposite chambers A and within said chambers they are provided with similar oscillating pistons E.

The chambers A form supplementary cylinders, which are connected with the supplyports I by means of pipes e or other suitable connections. The cylinder A upon each side is connected with the corresponding port I, so that when one of the ports I is being used as the supply-port the piston E within the cylinderE upon this side is forced over, so as to close the exhaust-valve E upon this side of the main cylinder 0. The two exhaust valves are connected by means of a link E placed outside the main cylinder at one side and connecting the ends of cranks E which are secured to the stems or shafts E of the exhaust-valves. These valves are so placed in relation to each other that when one valve is open the other is closed.

The steam-supply ports I connect with a valve-chamber H, located above the cylinder. VVit-hin this valve-chamber are two reversing-valves F and F, each of which consists of a tube having a segment removed to form a port and fitting one within the other. Each valve upon one edge of the port is thickened, as shown at f, the thickening being on opposite edges for the two valves, one being thickened interiorly and the other exteriorly, the thickened portion being of a dimension corresponding with the combined thickness of the body of both valves. Vithin these reversing-valves F and F is a steam-valve G, which consists of a tube having ports 9 in its periphery. As herein shown, the valve is supplied with four of these ports. The valve G is rotated by means of the gear K, which is secured to the shaft G2 of the valve G, and a gear K, which is secured upon the engineshaft D These gears are so proportioned as to give the valve the proper rotation. An engine constructed as is the one shown in the drawings would have the gear K of twice the diameter of the gear K. The valve G is provided with a central sleeve G, which is secured directly to the shaft G and thus provides a firm attachment thereto. The shaft G passes through one end onlyof the steamchamber.

The inner valve F is provided with a head upon one end and a shaft F which projects through the end casing of the valve-chamber. The outer valve F is provided with a hollow shaft or sleeve F encircling the shaft F and also projecting through the end casing of the valve-chamber. The sleeve or hollow shaft F and the shaft F are each provided with a crank located outside the valve-chamber, by means of which they are operated. The crank O is mounted upon the shaft F and the crank 0 upon the shaft F.

It will be seen that if the reversing-valves F and F be shifted in position, so as to close the left-hand port I, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and so as to open the right-hand port, the direction of rotation of the piston will be reversed.

In reversing the engine it is desirable that the port which has been operating as the supply-port should be closed before the other port is opened. To secure this result, motion is applied to one of the reversing-valves before the other. Vhich of these valves is first moved depends upon the position previous to reversing. In the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 motion would first be given to the inner reversing-valve or the valve F. This is accomplished by the mechanism shown in Figs. 5, 0, and 7. Adjacent to the engine is mounted a plate R, which is provided with segmental arms R and R extending in op .posite directions from the center thereof.

Each of these arms is provided with a segmental slot R extending from the center in opposite directions. The inner or central ends of each of these slots is curved to one side, or in the direction of a radius forming an inclined portion R. v

Mounted upon the plate R is a reversinglever P, which is also provided with two segmental arms P and P extending in opposite directions from its center line. Each of these arms is also provided with segmental slots P These slots are of slightly-diiferent radius from the slots R in the plate R. At their inner or central ends they are also bent to one side in the direction of a radius, the direction of the bend being opposite to the direction of bend in the slots R This forms an incline B at the ends of each of the slots B the termination of the slots at this end being at the same distance from the center as the slots R in the plate R. The reversingvalves are connected to this mechanism by means of links Q and Q, which are pivoted, respectively, upon the cranks O and O of the reversing-valves. The opposite ends of the links are provided with pins Q and Q each of these pins engaging the slots P and R upon one side of the plate R and reversinglever P. The pin upon one link engages these slots upon one side of the plate and lever, while the pin in the opposite link engages the slot in the other side of the plate and lever. The position shown in Fig. 5 is the working position when the engine is running in one direction, and the position shown in Fig. 7 is the working position when the engine is running in the opposite direction. Fig. 3 represen ts an intermediate position.

The operation of this mechanism is as follows: Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 5, the valve which is operated by the link Q is the one which should be first moved, while the valve which is operated by the link Q should not start until after the other valve has moved a certain distance. The reversing-lever P is thrown to the left. clined portion P of the slot P in the reversing-lever. As this incline cannot force the pin outward by reason of the fact that the pin is restrained by the slot R the pin is carried along the slot R until it reaches the inclined portion R. It is then forced upward or outward under the action of the inclines P and R into the position shown in Fig. 7. During the travel of the pin in the slot R the crank O has been shifted from one posit-ion to the other. The pin Q which controls the link Q and the other reversing-valve, cannot move at the-first movement of the reversing-lever by reason of the fact that the pin is held outward by the slot P into the inclined portion of the slot R WVhen the reversing-lever has moved a sufficicnt distance to permit the pin Q to drop into the inclined portion P of the slot P it then drops into the segmental portion of the slot R and travels in the same. This mechanism secures alternate movement of the valves, one preceding the other a sufficient distance to close one supply-port before the other is opened. 1

The ports gin the steam-valve are provided with a bushing, which is shown in detail in Fig. 8. The port-opening is made in two diameters, being provided at the inner edge of the valve with a flange extending across the port a short distance and forming a shoulder. The bushing L is also made in two diameters, thus forming a flange L, which fits the larger ICO The pin Q is engaged by the inpart of the port, and the stem or body L which fits the smaller part thereof. Between the flanges L and the shoulder upon the valve is placed a spring or springs L which serve to holdthe bushing outward,and consequently in close contact with the inner surfaces of the reversing-valves. The steam-cylinderisprovided with a movable packing-strip M, lying between the supply-ports I. The steam is supplied to the steam-chest and the valves through a bonnet J, which closes one end of the valve-chamber and has a passage J, leading off to one side thereof, to which passage the steam-pipe is connected.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. In a rotary engine, a steam cylinder or casing having a rotating piston-disk therein provided with piston-heads, the cylinder or casing having two supply-ports brought alternately into use by the reversal of the engine, two separate exhaust valves and ports, an oscillating piston connected with each eX- haust-valve, cylinders therefor, and a connection from each steam-port to the corresponding cylinder of the oscillating pistons, whereby the exhaust-valves are autOmatically changed by reversal of the steam-supply.

2. In a rotary engine, a steam cylinder or casing having a rotating piston-disk therein provided with piston-heads, the cylinder or casing having two steam-supply ports brought alternately into use by the reversal of the engine, two separate exhaustyalves, an oscillating piston connected with each exhaustvalve, chambers therefor, a connection from each steam-port to the corresponding chamber of the oscillating piston, and a link con- 11 ection between the exhaust-valves, whereby the exhaustvalves are automatically changed by reversal of the steam-supply.

3. Asteam-engine valve, comprising acombined cut-off and reversing valve formed as two concentric tubular segments fitting one within the other, the inner one having one end thickened eXteriorly and the outer one having the opposite end thickened interiorly to a thickness equal to the combined thickness of the body of both segments, a tubular admission-valve within and seating on the interior surfaces of said segments and having.

port-s therein, means for rotating the admission-valve, and means for shifting the reversin gvalve.

4:. Asteam-engine valve, comprising acombined cut-off and reversing valve formed as two concentric and tubular segments fitting one within the other, the inner one having one end thickened exteriorly and the outerone having the opposite end thickened interiorly to a thickness equal to the combined thickness of the body of both segments a tubular admission-valve within and seating on the interior surfaces of said segments and having ports therein, means for rotating the admission-valve, a shifting-lever, and connections thereto from said shifting valvespwhereby they are consecutively shifted.

V 5. Asteam-engine valve, comprisingacombined cut-off and reversing valve formed as two concentric tubular segments fitting one within the other, the inner one having one end thickened exteriorly and the outer one having the opposite end thickened interiorly to a thickness equal to the combined thickness of the body of both segments, concentric shafts for said 1. eversing-valves extending outside the steam-chest, a crank upon each shaft, a reversing-lever having segment-slots therein extending from near the center in either direction, the central ends of said slots being curved toward a radial direction, a fixed plate having segment-slots corresponding in radius with that of the curved end of the slots in the lever and extending from the center in either direction, the central ends of these slots curving to one side, their termination corresponding in radius with the radius of the body of the slots in the lever, and two links each connected at one end to one of the cranks upon the reversing-valves and at the other end having a pin which enters one of the slots in the fixed plate and the corresponding slot in the lever.

6. A consecutively-acting valve-reversing mechanism, com prising a reversing-lever hav ing segment-slots therein extending from near the center in either direction, the central ends of said slots being curved toward a radial direction, a fixed plate havingv segment-slots corresponding in radius with that of the curved end of the slots in the lever and extending from the center in either direction, the central ends of these slots curving to one side, their termination corresponding in radius with the radius of the body of the slots in the lever, and two links having each a pin in one end engaging the respective slots in the lever and the corresponding slots in the plates, and adapted to be connected at the other end with-the reversing-valve.

WVILLIAM LESLIE XVILSON. lVitnesses:

H. EWART, J. B. LAVENDER. 

